[Serina Mikage POV]
Even after lunch break ended and I returned to my classroom, the lingering warmth of the time I had spent with Naoki-kun refused to fade.
Afternoon classes began, and I copied the problems the teacher wrote on the blackboard into my notebook. Once I finished solving up to the assigned point, I shifted my eyes to check my answers, and the bento tote bag hanging from the side of my desk caught my attention.
The simmered carrot left behind in Naoki-kun's bento box.
It had looked difficult for him to pick up with his left hand, so I had decided to feed it to him myself. I properly asked if it was okay to use my own chopsticks, and Naoki-kun nodded, so there was nothing strange about it.
Just as I thought that, the memory of the chopstick tips brushing against Naoki-kun's lips came rushing back.
Even though they had only grazed him for a split second, the sheer proximity in that moment and the sight of Naoki-kun's face right in front of mine returned in vivid detail. I had continued eating my lunch with the same chopsticks afterward, but simply pretending nothing was out of the ordinary had taken everything I had.
Had I managed to eat normally? I was so fixated on the chopsticks touching his lips that I barely even remembered what I put into my mouth next. Since we were sitting so close together, could Naoki-kun hear the deafening pounding of my heart?
Nearly forgetting I was in the middle of class, I flusteredly snapped my eyes back to my notebook. The answer was correct. Even so, it took a little time before I could bring myself to move the mechanical pencil in my grip toward the next problem.
It wasn't just the chopsticks.
I had been the one to invite him to study for the post-break test, promising to meet him in the library tomorrow after school. I told him I wanted to try the rolled omelet he made, asked him to try mine too, and even held him back before lunch ended, asking to stay together for just five more minutes.
Taken individually, there were sensible reasons for each. I helped him because it looked hard to eat with his left hand, and studying together allows us to share methods we wouldn't discover alone. As for cooking, Naoki-kun had just said my mother's rolled omelet was delicious, so I simply wanted him to try one made by my own hands.
None of it was unpleasant; in fact, every time Naoki-kun accepted, it made me so happy.
However, I had initiated every single one of those things during today's lunch break alone.
Looking back, none of them were things I had carefully weighed before speaking. The urge to secure another chance to spend time with Naoki-kun had taken over, and before I realized it, the words were already out.
(...A-Am I being a little too eager...?)
Anxious about how Naoki-kun might see me, I cast my eyes down at my notebook.
Maybe having so many promises sprung on him all at once had overwhelmed him. Naoki-kun was so kind—what if he had only agreed just to avoid hurting my feelings?
(...No.)
When it came to studying, Naoki-kun had replied, "Let's do it together." And about the cooking, he had looked forward to it, saying, "Just having you make it for me makes me happy."
I didn't want to believe that even those words were nothing more than empty politeness.
Inviting him, making promises, wanting to stay together a little longer—all of it came from my genuine feelings. I asked myself if I wanted to take back even a single one, but the answer came instantly.
There wasn't a single promise I wanted to undo.
With that realization, the hesitation that had been churning in my chest grew just a little lighter.
The teacher began explaining the next problem. I shifted my gaze back to the blackboard and set my idle pencil back in motion.
◇◇◇
For the rest of the day, every time lunch break threatened to surface in my mind, I forced my focus back onto the board. By the time homeroom arrived, the afternoon sunlight reached deep into the classroom, casting long shadows from the legs of the aligned desks and chairs.
Once the final bell rang and the dismissal call ended, the classroom atmosphere relaxed all at once. Students heading to club activities hurried to gather their things, and voices calling out to friends echoed from the hallway.
I finished packing up and stepped out of the classroom. Before long, Miu came over, and Rio and Kotoha joined us with their bags in hand. To avoid getting in the way of the traffic in the hallway, the four of us stepped aside against the wall, a short distance from the door.
"So, how did lunch go?"
Prompted by Miu, I recounted everything in order, starting from eating our bentos together in the courtyard with Naoki-kun.
Tomorrow after school, we would study together in the library for the post-break test. Once Naoki-kun's right shoulder healed, we would each bring homemade rolled omelets to swap. And even before that, I had promised to have him try something else I made.
However, the fact that I had fed him a carrot with my own chopsticks was the one thing I simply couldn't bring myself to confess. It wasn't that I wanted to keep secrets from the three of them, but putting that moment into words was still far too embarrassing.
"You're the one who invited him to study tomorrow too, Serina?"
"Yeah. I figured Naoki-kun had his own pace, so I made sure to ask if it would be a bother."
"And what did Aiba-kun say?"
"He said, 'Let's do it together.' And he told me that if there was anything I didn't understand, he wanted to help teach me."
As I answered, Naoki-kun's smile from that moment came to mind, and a warm sensation spread deep within my chest. If I let my guard down, I felt like a grin would break across my face, so I frantically pressed my lips together.
I thought I had hidden it well, but Miu saw right through me.
"You just held back looking happy, didn't you?"
"..."
Miu's lips curved faintly before she abruptly glanced toward the hallway.
Several male students passing by were glancing in our direction. Though they averted their eyes before making direct contact with me, it wasn't the first time I had felt such gazes today.
"You've noticed too, right, Serina?"
"...The stares?"
"Yeah. Since this morning, they've been steadily multiplying."
When I talked with Naoki-kun in the hallway, and when we ate lunch together in the courtyard, people around us had been watching constantly.
I had assumed it was just because calling each other by our first names and having lunch as a pair was unusual, but maybe that wasn't the whole story.
"I think there were guys who were interested in you, Serina, but gave up because they knew you hated boys."
"...You think so?"
"You're more popular with the guys than you realize, Serina. Just from what I've seen, there's more than one or two keeping an eye on you."
"...I really hate that."
Hearing that I was popular didn't make me the slightest bit happy. The thought of multiple guys harboring feelings for me behind my back was something I didn't even want to imagine.
Even after entering high school, there had been several occasions where boys suddenly confessed to me or asked for my contact information. I turned them down every time, but having uninvited feelings suddenly thrust upon me was uncomfortable even to remember. Facing a boy waiting for an answer always made my body stiffen, making me want nothing more than to run away.
The stares I had been feeling since this morning might carry that exact same meaning. Just thinking about it made my fingers tighten around my bag's handle.
(...Still, Naoki-kun is different. Or rather, I like him.)
"Seeing you talk normally with Aiba-kun might make some people think you got over your dislike of boys. If that happens, guys might start getting ideas about approaching you."
"...Nothing about me has changed."
The words tumbled out before I could stop them.
"It's because it's Naoki-kun that I can talk to him, and because I want to. It's not like I've magically become able to talk to other guys."
"But we're the only ones who know that," Miu replied in a calm tone. "People who don't know your circumstances won't understand that distinction. I just think it's best to keep in mind that someone might try to approach you out of nowhere."
Rio, who had been listening quietly, spoke up with concern.
"Come to think of it, what about that guy who was waiting for you on your way back from the hospital, Serina? Have you seen him since?"
"He's in a different class, and I haven't seen him since that day."
"I see. But just because you haven't seen him doesn't mean you can let your guard down. He wouldn't take no for an answer no matter how many times you turned him down."
"Indeed. There is no need to assume something will happen, but we should probably keep track of his name and class as well."
Given Kotoha's advice on top of Rio's, I looked at them and nodded.
"Yeah. I'll be careful."
Hearing that, Miu added gently, "I'm not saying you should hold back from talking to Aiba-kun, though."
"...Yeah. That's the one thing I definitely won't do."
I couldn't control how other people interpreted things. Even so, I had no intention of cutting down the time I spent with Naoki-kun just to appease them.
"Yeah. Exactly."
Miu's expression finally softened.
"Thank you, everyone. And... sorry for making this all about me."
"Why are you apologizing? We're the ones who gathered around because we wanted to hear about it!"
"Indeed. There is no need to hold back like that around us."
"I'm glad we got to hear it too."
Seeing that all three of them truly didn't mind, the lingering guilt in my chest gradually dissolved. Just as I finally let the tension leave my shoulders, Rio piped up cheerfully as if struck by a sudden thought.
"Come to think of it, Serina! You promised to make something for Aiba-kun to eat, right?"
"Y-Yeah. I want to cook something myself. That's why... I actually have a favor to ask of you, Rio."
"Of me?"
"You can cook, right?"
"More or less! I make dinner on my days off sometimes, and I know how to whip up a few kinds of bento side dishes."
I had heard before that she cooked at home, but I had never asked for specifics. She seemed far more experienced than me, and without knowing what she was about to be asked, Rio waited with keen interest.
"Um... could you teach me how to cook sometime?"
"Rolled omelets?"
"I'm planning on having my mom teach me those. Aside from that, I want to learn how to make other things that go well in a bento."
"To feed Aiba-kun?"
It was Miu, not Rio, who asked. She kept her voice low so other students wouldn't overhear, but just hearing Naoki-kun's name was enough to make that lunchtime promise flare up in my mind.
"...Yeah. I haven't decided what to make yet, but I want Naoki-kun to eat something I made."
By the time the words left my mouth, I couldn't look any of them in the eye. As I dropped my gaze to my bag, Rio puffed out her chest as though she had been entrusted with a vital mission.
"I see, I see! In that case, leave it to me!"
"R-Really?"
"Of course! As long as we don't pick anything too difficult right off the bat, you'll do great. For a bento, we want things that taste good even when cold and don't get soggy, so we'll factor that in too!"
Rio already seemed to have a few ideas, counting off candidates on her fingers. They were all familiar dishes, but when it came to making them from scratch, I had no clue where to start.
"You seem awfully confident considering you haven't even decided what to teach her yet."
When Kotoha chimed in, Rio kept her chest puffed out with pride.
"I've been entrusted from the planning stage itself!"
"I didn't mean to dump that much on you, though..."
"No need to be shy! We'll ask what Aiba-kun dislikes, and pick something manageable from what's left."
"Wouldn't it be best to decide on the menu first, and then coordinate a day that works for both of you?"
Rio agreed with Kotoha's sensible suggestion, so we decided to sort out the details later.
"Thank you, Rio."
When I smiled in relief at her willingness to help, Rio gave a pleased nod. Just then, Miu spoke up as if remembering an important topic.
"Come to think of it, do the three of you have plans for the last weekend of this month?"
"I'm free as of right now, but why do you ask?"
Prompted by Rio, Miu looked at each of our faces in turn.
"I was wondering if we could do an overnight trip to my family's villa."
Come to think of it, during lunch a while back, Miu had stepped out of the room to make a phone call about her family's schedule. She must have been checking on the villa.
"A villa? I wanna go!"
Rio's voice bounced with excitement. Wondering what Miu's villa was like, I nodded beside Rio.
"I'd love to go too. An overnight trip with all of us sounds like so much fun."
"Indeed. I am quite interested as well."
Kotoha showed enthusiasm too, then paused thoughtfully.
"I don't have any conflicting plans at the moment either, but since it involves staying overnight, I will need to hear the details before discussing it with my parents."
"Yeah, same here. If I can go, I definitely want to."
At Kotoha's remark, Miu nodded.
"Right. Today I just wanted to make sure our schedules didn't clash. My parents won't be coming, but someone who has looked after me since I was little will chaperone us. I'll properly explain the location and who's coming later."
"So we just wait for the details and then ask at home, right?"
"That works."
Confirming that all three of us were free for now, Miu gave a satisfied nod. Still curious, Rio leaned toward her.
"So, roughly where is this villa?"
"Well, that's for later."
When Miu neatly wrapped up the topic, Rio went right back to listing bento-friendly dishes. The names kept tumbling out one after another, and I looked up with a laugh, saying there was no way I could remember all of that.
As I happened to glance toward the hallway, I spotted Naoki-kun walking toward us from a short distance away.
Naoki-kun noticed me too and stopped in his tracks.
Only a few hours had passed since we parted at lunch. Even so, the moment I saw him, my heart brightened, and my hand went up before I could think.
Without making a sound so as not to interrupt the other three, I gave him a small wave near my chest.
Naoki-kun set down the bag he was holding in his left hand and raised his free hand to wave back. A gentle smile touched his face, making it feel as if the promise for tomorrow we had shared at lunch was blooming between us once again.
"Serina, you sure spotted Aiba-kun fast."
Hearing Rio's voice right beside me, I snapped my head back in a panic.
"W-Well... you know."
While I mumbled in a quiet voice, Naoki-kun gave a polite nod to the three of them, picked his bag back up, and headed toward the stairs.
Knowing he was leaving, I couldn't stop my eyes from following him. Then, right before descending the stairs, Naoki-kun turned back to look at me one more time.
Realizing he had caught me watching, I almost looked away in embarrassment. But remembering our promise for tomorrow, I silently mouthed the words.
See you tomorrow.
A beat later, Naoki-kun mouthed the exact same words in return.
Even though he was too far away to hear, I knew precisely what he had said. I watched until Naoki-kun smiled and walked down the stairs, then turned back to the girls.
Rio raised her index finger and wiggled it over her head like an antenna.
"Serina's radar has detected Aiba-kun! Beep beep beep!"
"Huh? Are you making fun of me?"
"S-Sorry! I promise I'll teach you amazing recipes, so forgive me!"
"Honestly..."
Rio lowered her finger with a grin. Beside her, Miu had been quietly watching the stairwell the entire time Naoki-kun walked away.
"Aiba-kun seemed to be looking forward to tomorrow too."
"...D-Did it look that way to you?"
"Yeah. His expression softened the instant he found you, Serina."
After saying that, Miu looked once more toward the empty stairwell. Eventually, her gaze drifted back to me, but she didn't add anything further.
The smile Naoki-kun gave me right before heading down the stairs lingered in my mind. I had been fretting that I had pushed too hard during lunch break and made things difficult for him. But if his expression had softened the moment he saw me, surely that meant he was happy to see me too.
Maybe he was anticipating tomorrow's promise just as much as I was. Thinking about that made the corners of my mouth threaten to loosen again.
"Serina. It is written all over your face again."
Caught by Kotoha, I hastily clamped my lips shut.
"Tomorrow is a study session, so make sure you actually study."
"...I will."
"That sounded a little unconvincing."
"Don't tease me too, Miu! I'm really going to study."
Skepticism still lingered in their eyes, but lacking the confidence to argue back any further, I gripped my bag and began walking.
◇◇◇
Back home, I changed clothes and finished my homework before heading to the dining room, where my mother was setting out dinner.
I offered to help, but she told me all that was left was carrying over the reheated food, so I took my seat first. Soon after, Father returned home, and a short while into our meal, he set down his miso soup bowl and looked at me.
"Did Naoki-kun seem all right today?"
"Yeah. His right arm still looked difficult to move, but he seemed to be feeling fine."
"I see. As long as he isn't overdoing it."
Father nodded in relief. Mother, sitting across from me, had also been waiting to hear about Naoki-kun, holding off on picking up her chopsticks until I finished speaking.
"Were you able to talk at school today?"
"Yeah. We talked a bit in the morning, and we ate lunch together, just the two of us."
"Just the two of you?"
Mother's tone brightened, and Father turned his attention back to me as well.
"I went to Naoki-kun's classroom to invite him, and we ate on a bench in the courtyard. We talked about having lunch together from time to time, and Naoki-kun said he'd be the one to invite me next time."
As I spoke, the embarrassment crept in, and I ended up staring down at the grilled fish. Mother blinked in mild surprise before beaming with delight.
"Is that so? You've become able to talk like that at school too."
"...Yeah."
"Good for you, Serina."
Hearing Father say that so gently, I raised my head and nodded.
Why did simply telling my parents about having lunch with Naoki-kun make my heart race like this? Even so, there was one thing I really wanted to share: the fact that he had eaten Mother's rolled omelet.
"And um, I gave him one of your rolled omelets to try, Mom."
"To Naoki-kun?"
"Yeah. He said the dashi flavor came through and that it was delicious. He said he really liked it."
"My, really?"
Mother set down her chopsticks and leaned forward across the table.
"Naoki-kun liked that rolled omelet?"
"Y-Yeah. He said his family makes theirs on the sweeter side, but he told me he really liked ours too."
"Is that so... Naoki-kun took a liking to it, did he?"
Mother's cheeks relaxed into a blissful smile. Knowing that something she cooked had brought joy to Naoki-kun seemed to make her overwhelmingly happy. After gazing upward in thought for a moment, she clapped her hands together as if struck by an idea.
"In that case, the next time the two of you eat together, why don't I pack extra? If it doesn't fit in your bento, Serina, we can put Naoki-kun's portion in a separate container. Not just rolled omelets, but other side dishes too—"
"Mom, wait a second. It's not that I want you to cook for him."
"It's not?"
Mother blinked, caught off guard. While I was happy to see her so enthusiastic for Naoki-kun's sake, I hadn't brought this up just to hand the task over to her.
Squeezing my hands tightly over my lap, I looked straight at Mother.
"Um, Mom. Could you teach me how to make rolled omelets?"
"Teach you, Serina?"
"Yeah. Naoki-kun cooks too, you see. When I heard he knew how to make rolled omelets and said I wanted to try them, he promised to make some for me once his shoulder heals. So I said I'd make them too, and we promised to swap our rolled omelets."
Mother listened without interrupting. Father waited patiently as well, giving me the courage to push past the embarrassment and keep going.
"And before we swap, I promised I'd make something else for him to try... so I want to make something genuinely delicious for Naoki-kun."
The moment the words left my lips, heat flared in my cheeks. Unable to look my parents in the eye, I dropped my gaze to my hands, only to hear Mother draw a soft breath from across the table.
"I asked Rio to teach me cooking too. We haven't decided what to make or when yet... but I want you to teach me the rolled omelets, Mom."
As I waited for her reaction, Mother shifted slightly in her chair.
When I tentatively looked up through the lingering heat in my face, Mother was smiling with far more radiance than when I had shared Naoki-kun's compliment earlier.
"Of course! If it's something you want to learn, Serina, I will teach you anything."
"...Really?"
"Of course! Controlling the heat is crucial for rolled omelets, but you also need to get a feel for the dashi ratio. If you're going to feed Naoki-kun, let's practice until you can bring your very best batch."
As she spoke, Mother was already calculating how many practice sessions we would need. When she asked what else she should teach me after rolled omelets and what Rio would be showing me, her cheerful expression didn't waver in the slightest even when I admitted we hadn't decided yet.
"If you get too fired up, dear, it won't be Serina's cooking anymore."
"I'm only the instructor. The one cooking is Serina."
"Well, that's fine, but don't overwhelm her with complicated dishes right from the start."
"I know, I know. First, we need to make sure she can roll an omelet neatly."
After replying to Father, Mother turned her gaze back to me.
"Make sure you ask Naoki-kun what side dishes he likes next time, too. Once you're comfortable with rolled omelets, I'll teach you how to make his favorites. If it's something you cooked yourself, Serina, he'll be even happier."
Picturing Naoki-kun taking a bite of something I made and saying "It's delicious" just like today sent a ticklish, fluttering warmth through my chest.
"...Yeah. Naoki-kun told me that just having me cook for him makes him happy."
"Oh my, he even said that to you?"
Mother's smile widened further. Hearing her get so excited over every little detail about Naoki-kun was embarrassing, but more than that, it made me so happy that a smile naturally found its way onto my face too.
Father, who had been listening quietly to our exchange, chimed in with a gentle tone.
"Sounds great to me. If you make it a few times, you'll get the hang of it in no time, Serina. Your mother and I will happily eat the ones that lose their shape, so you can practice without worrying about making mistakes."
"Hey, don't just assume I'm going to fail!"
"I'm just saying that even if you do, none of it will go to waste."
"When you make a mistake, we'll eat it. As for the ones you take to Naoki-kun, I'll coach you until they turn out picture-perfect."
Mother spoke with absolute confidence, and Father chuckled in agreement.
We decided to pick a date for Rio's cooking lesson once I checked her availability. As for Mother, she could teach me anytime we were home, so I would first think about what I wanted to try and discuss it with her again.
By the time dinner was over, the list of potential recipes in Mother's head had expanded far beyond simple rolled omelets.
◇◇◇
Back in my room, I packed my textbooks into my school bag while double-checking tomorrow's timetable.
Lastly, I picked up the post-break test workbook from my desk. Since I had adamantly promised the girls that I was really going to study tomorrow, I needed to stay focused on the problems, even with Naoki-kun sitting right in front of me.
During class, I had worried that I was being far too pushy today. But Naoki-kun had readily agreed to study together, and he had said he was looking forward to my cooking. Even the "See you tomorrow" we shared in the hallway hadn't been a one-sided farewell from me.
That nervous hesitation about how close I was allowed to get hadn't completely vanished. Even so, I didn't want to undo a single one of the promises we had made today.
Zipping the workbook safely into my bag, I pictured Naoki-kun sitting across from me in the library tomorrow. I pressed both hands against my cheeks in an effort to keep my composure, but beneath my palms, the corners of my lips were already curling into a smile.